The California town of Ojai became the first in the U.S. to recognize the legal rights of elephants.
The Ojai City Council voted 4-1 on Tuesday to adopt the ordinance, which recognizes the freedoms of elephants and was developed with the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP).
"It's indisputable that elephants suffer when deprived of their freedom and that animal welfare laws can't end their suffering," Courtney Fern, Nonhuman Rights Project's director of government relations and campaigns, said in a release. "For elephants and the nonhuman animal rights movement, we are proud to support this first-of-its-kind ordinance and we commend the Ojai City Council for standing up for what is necessary and just."
According to the ordinance, elephants have been found to be quite similar to humans in that they have long-term memories, learning abilities, empathy, and self-awareness.
"We have known for some time that elephants have strong empathetic responses to one another's condition," Mark Scott, interim Ojai City manager, told KTLA 5. "I am glad that we are able to make this statement supporting the place of these noble creatures in our world."
An elephant named Tarra was held in captivity in Ojai Valley in the early 1980s and used for entertainment purposes, including in an act where she was made to rollerskate, according to the NhRP. In 1995, Tarra became the first inhabitant of what is currently the largest elephant sanctuary in the U.S.
Under the newly passed Ojai ordinance, it's now illegal to treat an elephant the way Tarra was treated.
Calling the Ojai ordinance "historic," the Nonhuman Rights Project said it expects other cities to follow suit and pass similar legislation.
"In the years to come, we expect this will be the first of many such laws: introduced by elected officials who understand that a sustainable and just future for all life on earth means extending compassion to and establishing legal rights for nonhuman animals. In legislatures, in courtrooms, and beyond, that's what this movement is about."
Nicole Wells ✉
Nicole Wells, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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